Learn about the history of our dental practice

Founder of Yonge & Lawrence Dentistry

Dr. Stewart Alexander MacGregor

Dr. “Sandy” MacGregor established his paediatric dental practice at the corner of Yonge and Lawrence in the 1940s.  He was the founding Chief of Dentistry at the Hospital for Sick Children and the first head of Paediatric Dentistry at the University of Toronto.

Dr. MacGregor had a busy practice and when Dr. Peter Tonisson joined him in the spring of 1976 as a General Practitioner, he expanded the patient base to include the whole family – from kids to parents and grandparents.  His goal was always to look after the dental care of the individual as a whole.

Dr. Tonisson’s practice was modern, up-to-date and focused on prevention. It quickly outgrew the old style 1 room operatory, and moved and expanded twice before moving to the present larger location at 3080 Yonge Street.

Dr. Tonisson receives Arbor Award from U of T in 2008

Dr. Tonisson enjoying his retirement

After 39 years, Dr. Tonisson connected with Dr. Macrae, who shared similar values in patient care.  Dr. Tonisson retired in 2015 and now spends as much time as possible on the golf course!

Dr. Berbrayer began working at Yonge & Lawrence Dentistry at the start of 2019 and both she and Dr. Macrae share the philosophy of prevention and excellent, individualized patient care.

Dr. Macrae’s grandmother, Dr. Maret Truuvert, also had a large influence on Dr. Macrae’s practice philosophy.  Dr. Truuvert was a pioneer in her field; one of very few female dentists in her era.  She emigrated from Estonia to Canada in 1952 and graduated from the University of Toronto in 1956, and specialized in Pediatric Dentistry. She established a busy family practice in Bloor West Village in 1958, where she practiced with her daughter Piret.

Read more about Dr. Truuvert here:  October 2009, Vol. 75, No.

Dr. Tonisson and Dr. Truuvert, both of Estonian ancestry, cared for many members of Toronto’s Estonian community. Dr. Macrae is also proud to offer patient care in both Estonian and English.  Estonian World Review  Estonian World Review – Trina Macrae

Dr. Trina Macrae with her grandmother, Dr. Maret Truuvert